Patty Mills
Mills was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 55th overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft after playing two years of college basketball for the Saint Mary's Gaels.[18] In 2005, he made a strong impression at the Australian Olympic Youth Festival, an event considered to be a showcase for future elite sporting talents.In April, Mills was a member of the World Junior Select Team that competed against the United States in the Nike Hoop Summit.[21][22] Mills was named the 2006 SEABL U/21 Australian Youth Player of the Year, averaging 18.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per game and helping the AIS to a 16–10 regular season record.[22] Also in 2006, Mills was the youngest athlete selected in the 22-man extended Australian Boomers squad ahead of the 2006 FIBA World Championship.The Deadlys Awards honor Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders achievements in sports, music, entertainment and community.[25] As a sophomore in 2008–09, Mills averaged 18.4 points, 3.9 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 2.2 steals in 32.1 minutes and was named WCC Player of the Week twice (24 November and 8 December).[27] On 9 July 2009, Mills fractured the fifth metatarsal in his right foot during practice and was subsequently ruled out of the NBA Summer League.He scored in double figures 10 times and posted what was a career-best 23 points in Portland's regular-season finale on 13 April against Golden State.With the NBA lockout ending on 8 December 2011, Mills wanted to return to the Portland Trail Blazers, but the Chinese Basketball Association could not guarantee that he would receive FIBA clearance until March.[43] On 26 April 2012, Mills set career highs with 34 points and 12 assists for his first NBA double-double in a 107–101 win over the Golden State Warriors.[47] In the Spurs' second-last game of the regular season on 15 April 2013, Mills scored a season-high 23 points in a 116–106 loss to Golden State.[57][58] On 4 December 2017, in a 96–93 win over the Detroit Pistons, Mills became the third Spur to have made 500 three-pointers as a reserve; the others are Manu Ginóbili and Matt Bonner.[59] On 18 December 2017, in a 109–91 win over the Los Angeles Clippers, Mills became one of only three Spurs in franchise history to have scored 3,000 career points as a reserve; the others are Ginóbili and Malik Rose.[60] On 25 February 2018 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Mills climbed into fourth place on the Spurs' list of all-time three-pointers made.[64] Also as of December 2020, only two NBA players—Udonis Haslem of the Miami Heat and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors—had been with their respective teams longer than Mills had been with the Spurs.[73] On the NBA Christmas game, Mills tied his career high with 34 points on 8-for-13 from three in a 122–115 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.[82] On 1 February 2025, Mills was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers alongside Drew Eubanks in exchange for Mo Bamba, P. J. Tucker, a 2030 second-round pick and cash considerations.[84] Mills became the third Indigenous basketball player to play for Australia behind Olympians Michael Ah Matt (1964) and Danny Morseu (1980–84).[5] The following year, he played for Australia at the FIBA Diamond Ball tournament and represented his country at the Beijing Olympics, where he averaged 14.2 points per game.[92] Mills is known for his three-point shooting,[93][94] his commitment to the team culture of the San Antonio Spurs[95] and the Boomers,[88] his enthusiasm,[96][97] and his leadership qualities.
Brooklyn NetsPoint guardCanberra, ACTMarist CollegeLake GinninderraSaint Mary'sNBA draftPortland Trail Blazers2009–2010Idaho StampedeMelbourne Tigers2011–2012Xinjiang Flying TigersSan Antonio Spurs2023–2024Atlanta HawksMiami Heat2024–2025Utah JazzLos Angeles ClippersNBA championNBA Sportsmanship AwardGaze MedalistBasketball ReferenceAustraliaOlympic Games2020 TokyoFIBA Oceania Championship2007 Australia2011 Australia2013 Australia2015 AustraliabasketballNational Basketball AssociationCanberraTorres Strait IslanderAboriginal AustralianAustralian national team2009 NBA draftcollege basketballSaint Mary's GaelsNBA lockoutNational Basketball League2014 NBA championshipAustralian BoomersTokyo 2020 OlympicsMuralagKokathaStolen GenerationsIndigenous AustralianDanny Morseurugby leagueEdrick LeeBrenko LeeNathan Jawailand rightsEddie MaboCanberra CannonsSaint Mary's College of CaliforniaDavid PatrickAustralian rules footballAustralian Football LeagueAustralian Institute of SportLake Ginninderra CollegeNike Hoop Summit2006 FIBA World ChampionshipBasketball AustraliaNAIDOCLucas WalkerWest Coast ConferenceOregonNBA Summer LeagueNBA Development League2011 NBA lockoutSydney KingsChinese Basketball Associationdouble-doubleGolden State WarriorsAndrew Bogut2013 NBA FinalsAron BaynesLarry O'Brien Championship TrophyNBA FinalsMemphis GrizzliesDetroit PistonsManu GinóbiliMatt BonnerMalik RoseCleveland CavaliersUdonis HaslemStephen Curry2022 NBA All-Star WeekendMilwaukee BucksOklahoma City ThunderToronto RaptorsNBA Christmas gameLos Angeles LakersHouston RocketsTyTy Washington Jr.Usman GarubaRudy GayDrew EubanksMo BambaP. J. TuckerBoomersIndigenousMichael Ah MattFIBA Diamond BallBeijing Olympics2010 FIBA World Championship2011 FIBA Oceania Championship2012 London OlympicsKevin Durant2015 FIBA Oceania Championship2016 Rio Olympicsflag bearerAustralian flagCate Campbellopening ceremony2020 Tokyo OlympicsSlovenia2024 Paris OlympicsGreeceWlamir MarquesJosh GiddeyRudy Fernández